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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pit — a hole
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pit — in a race
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. file — a document
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. file — a tool
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. file — a line of people
  23. spring — of water
  24. pit — a fruit 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