ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bank — for money
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ground — a position
  6. wind — moving air
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. march — the month
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. march — music
  12. ground — the earth
  13. march — the month
  14. squash — to crush
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bank — of a river
  17. ground — crushed
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. calf — of the leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com