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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. track — a path
  9. ground — the earth
  10. craft — a skill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. toast — bread
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cold — an illness
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — not warm

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