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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. current — of water
  13. shower — rain
  14. current — electric
  15. shower — to wash
  16. current — happening now
  17. prune — to trim
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. can — a tin
  24. arm — part of the body

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