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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. net — after costs
  5. fall — to drop
  6. net — for catching
  7. fall — the season
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pop — music
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fall — to drop
  16. net — in sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pit — in a race

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