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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wind — moving air
  5. club — for golf
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. file — a tool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pit — in a race
  21. club — a group
  22. bore — to tire
  23. club — for dancing
  24. file — a document

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