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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. scale — in music
  4. kid — child
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pop — music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. club — for dancing
  15. deal — to handle
  16. club — for golf
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. club — a group
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. kid — to tease
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stem — of a plant

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