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 · wake · patient · ground · jam · pound · cap · bound

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pound — a weight
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. ground — a position
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cap — of ice

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