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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. key — the most important part
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bulb — for light
  5. key — in music
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. suit — clothes
  11. key — for a lock
  12. can — a tin
  13. suit — to fit
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. clip — a video
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bulb — for light
  21. field — for sport
  22. suit — in cards
  23. can — to be able to
  24. clip — to cut

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