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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. court — of law
  3. pop — soda
  4. bass — low music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. court — for sport
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. court — of a king
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. roll — a cake
  17. mug — to rob
  18. roll — a list
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pop — music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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