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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. net — after costs
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. net — for catching
  20. stand — to bear
  21. net — in sport
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. spring — of water

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