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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. march — music
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rest — what's left
  5. game — wild animals
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bear — the animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. staff — employees
  10. pit — a hole
  11. march — the month
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. game — a match
  15. staff — employees
  16. pit — in a race
  17. staff — a stick
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rest — a break
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rest — what's left
  22. march — the month
  23. snap — to click
  24. swing — music

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