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 water is too ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. kick — in football
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bulb — for light
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. perch — the fish
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cold — an illness
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wound — an injury

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