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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rock — music
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rock — a stone
  16. court — of a king
  17. drill — army training
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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