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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bound — obliged
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bound — certain
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fall — to drop
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fall — the season
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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