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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pop — soda
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bear — the animal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. shower — rain
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pop — music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. sharp — exactly

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