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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bore — to tire
  3. prune — to trim
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — farmland
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. capital — a city
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. field — for sport
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. capital — money
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fan — to cool the air

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