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: cabinet · fall · bowl · prune · bat · pound · pitcher · firm

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. fall — to drop
  8. firm — a company
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. firm — steady
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. firm — decided

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