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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mug — to rob
  3. object — an aim
  4. charge — a price
  5. stock — shares
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. spring — the season
  8. object — to protest
  9. mug — a face
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. charge — in control
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. spring — of water
  16. stock — goods
  17. spring — a coil
  18. charge — electricity
  19. object — a thing
  20. bass — low music
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mug — a cup

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