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 120 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lean — thin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. capital — money
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. current — of water
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — to bend
  16. current — electric
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. capital — a city
  22. current — happening now
  23. pass — a permit
  24. capital — a big letter

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