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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kid — to tease
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. kid — child
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fall — the season
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mug — to rob
  18. face — to confront
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bark — to shout
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mug — a face

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