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: shower · net · wound · pitcher · bore · bear · craft · chair

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. net — after costs
  4. bear — the animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. craft — boats
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. shower — rain
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. net — for catching
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bear — the animal
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. shower — to wash
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bore — to tire

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