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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. craft — a skill
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. spring — the season
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fall — to drop
  7. craft — boats
  8. lean — thin
  9. degree — from a university
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fall — the season
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. shower — rain
  21. fall — to drop
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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