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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. ground — crushed
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bore — to tire
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bore — to drill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. ground — a position
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. sharp — exactly

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