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: bay · current · wind · mate · chest · pitcher · mouse · prune

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wind — moving air
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. chest — a box
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. current — happening now
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mouse — for a computer

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