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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. shower — to wash
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. spell — letters
  7. chest — a box
  8. spell — a short time
  9. shower — rain
  10. spell — magic
  11. swing — in golf
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. swing — music
  18. mug — a face
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pit — in a race
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pit — a hole
  24. present — a gift

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