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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rash — hasty
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. drill — the tool
  8. degree — temperature
  9. band — a ring
  10. pit — in a race
  11. degree — an amount
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. degree — from a university
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rash — a series
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. drill — army training
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. band — a music group
  23. drill — a practice
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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