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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. shower — rain
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bass — low music
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rash — a series
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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