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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · tear · lie · key · current · pass · net · wind

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wind — moving air
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. current — electric
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. net — in sport
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — after costs
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wind — moving air
  18. key — in music
  19. net — for catching
  20. key — for a lock
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. tear — from crying

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