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 · jam · file · net · game · tear · straw · suit

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. game — wild animals
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. file — a document
  8. net — for catching
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. file — a tool
  12. net — after costs
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. file — a line of people
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. tear — to rip
  17. net — in sport
  18. game — a match
  19. suit — in cards
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. suit — to fit
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. suit — clothes

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