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 116 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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. last — finally
  5. tear — to rip
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. staff — employees
  8. tear — from crying
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pit — a hole
  12. ball — a dance
  13. last — final
  14. ball — a great time
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pit — in a race
  17. last — to go on
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. press — a publisher
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. staff — employees
  22. press — to push
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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