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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ground — a position
  5. bass — low music
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cap — of ice
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mouse — the animal

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