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 · vault · present · current · mouse · stand · wound · bear

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stand — to bear
  5. present — a gift
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — there
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. current — of water
  24. present — the time now

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