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: pitcher · pound · bowl · content · sharp · staff · season · fall

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pound — a weight
  3. fall — the season
  4. season — of the year
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. season — in sport
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fall — to drop
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. content — happy
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fall — to drop
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. content — the amount
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pound — for dogs

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