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: present · stick · object · scale · band · pitcher · snap · mine

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. object — to protest
  3. mine — for digging
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. snap — to click
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. object — an aim
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. present — the time now
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. object — a thing
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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