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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rash — a series
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. land — a country
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pit — a hole
  21. land — to come down
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. land — ground
  24. wake — before a funeral

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