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

Word bank: root · current · pitcher · content · mouse · sharp · spring · shower

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. root — of a word
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spring — the season
  8. shower — to wash
  9. spring — of water
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. current — electric
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. current — of water
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. current — happening now
  21. shower — rain
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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