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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bass — low music
  8. mine — for digging
  9. band — a ring
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fork — in a road
  13. prune — to trim
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. deal — to handle
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. band — a music group
  20. spell — letters
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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