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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bank — for money
  3. face — part of the head
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. face — to confront
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bank — for money
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. drill — army training
  24. prune — the fruit

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