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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bore — to drill
  9. current — electric
  10. spring — a coil
  11. dip — to sink
  12. spring — the season
  13. current — happening now
  14. net — for catching
  15. current — of water
  16. spring — of water
  17. net — after costs
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. tube — a container
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. net — in sport

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