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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stock — goods
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stock — shares
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. game — a match
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bore — to drill
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bore — to tire
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. prune — the fruit

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