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'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. ground — crushed
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. clip — a video
  10. object — an aim
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. object — a thing
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bore — to tire
  17. clip — to cut
  18. ground — a position
  19. bore — to drill
  20. object — to protest
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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