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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. scale — in music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mug — a cup
  8. scale — size or range
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mug — a face
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pit — in a race
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cue — a hint
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. spring — the season
  21. pit — a hole
  22. spring — of water
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cap — of ice

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