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: dip · stick · current · bowl · land · cell · season · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. land — ground
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. land — a country
  8. season — in sport
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. land — to come down
  24. season — of the year

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