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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bass — the fish
  3. present — the time now
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bear — the animal
  8. game — a match
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. date — the fruit
  12. present — there
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bass — low music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. present — a gift
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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