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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — to fit
  5. can — a tin
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. can — to be able to
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. field — for sport
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. deal — to handle
  16. net — in sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. shower — rain
  20. net — for catching
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. net — after costs

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