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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. drill — army training
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wound — an injury
  9. drill — a practice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. scale — in music
  15. mug — a face
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. row — a line
  19. wound — an injury
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mug — to rob

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