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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. club — for golf
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pop — to visit
  12. snap — to click
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pop — music
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cell — a phone
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. club — for dancing
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pop — soda
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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