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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fine — all right
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. rash — a series
  11. tube — a container
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. march — the month
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. ball — a great time
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fine — high quality
  20. snap — to click
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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