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 120 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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. track — a song
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mug — a face
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. track — a path
  9. land — a country
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. land — to come down
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. wake — a trail
  17. land — ground
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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