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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. cue — a signal
  6. root — the cause
  7. file — a tool
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rash — a series
  14. root — of a plant
  15. stand — to bear
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cue — a hint
  22. root — of a word
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. file — a document

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