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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. roll — a list
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. roll — a cake
  8. kid — child
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pass — a permit
  21. kid — to tease
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. squash — the sport
  24. roll — on a roll

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