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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lie — to recline
  3. present — the time now
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. swing — in golf
  10. present — a gift
  11. wound — an injury
  12. plane — a tool
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wound — an injury
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. present — there
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. plane — an aircraft

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