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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cold — not warm
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. capital — a city
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cold — an illness
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. drill — army training
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. suit — in cards
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. suit — clothes
  21. ball — a dance
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pound — a weight
  24. suit — to fit

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