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 124 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. spell — letters
  6. bulb — for light
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mate — a partner
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. spell — magic
  12. mate — a friend
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spell — a short time
  19. clip — to cut
  20. drill — army training
  21. clip — a video
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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