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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. face — to confront
  3. charge — electricity
  4. prune — to trim
  5. face — to point toward
  6. spring — of water
  7. charge — in control
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. chest — of your body
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chest — a box
  20. charge — a price
  21. face — part of the head
  22. spring — the season
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. chest — of your body

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