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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mug — a face
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mug — to rob
  8. tube — a container
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. wound — an injury
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bass — low music
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mug — a cup
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — money
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pitcher — a jug

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