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: content · pound · vault · pitcher · wake · mouse · row · capital

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. row — to paddle
  6. content — happy
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. content — the amount
  10. capital — a city
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. capital — money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. row — a line
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mouse — the animal

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