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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. present — the time now
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. degree — temperature
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rush — hurry
  7. present — a gift
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. degree — from a university
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. file — a tool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. present — there
  18. degree — an amount
  19. file — a document
  20. pop — soda
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lie — to recline

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