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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bear — the animal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mark — a grade
  13. file — a tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bass — low music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mark — a trace
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. file — a document
  24. stem — to come from

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