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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. field — a subject
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. kid — child
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. field — farmland
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rock — a stone
  19. kid — to tease
  20. rock — music
  21. field — for sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. perch — for a bird

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