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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. content — happy
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pit — a hole
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. content — the amount
  16. staff — employees
  17. rock — music
  18. spell — a short time
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. kick — in football
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rock — a stone

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