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 120 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: snap · ground · bore · pitcher · stem · content · cabinet · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. content — the amount
  5. ground — a position
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. content — happy
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. snap — to click
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bore — to drill
  24. content — videos and posts

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