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: pitcher · bass · prune · wave · pass · mate · file · wound

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. file — a document
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bass — low music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wound — an injury
  18. file — a tool
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mate — to breed
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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