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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. clip — a video
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pit — in a race
  10. last — finally
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. last — final
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. clip — for paper
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. shower — to wash
  20. clip — to cut
  21. last — to go on
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. shower — rain
  24. jam — a tight spot

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