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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. capital — a city
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. capital — money
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bass — low music
  16. track — a path
  17. pit — a hole
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pit — in a race

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