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: stick · net · prune · pitcher · bore · squash · chest · patient

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. squash — the sport
  3. chest — of your body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. net — for catching
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. net — after costs
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chest — a box
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chest — of your body
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. squash — to crush
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. net — in sport
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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