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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. club — a group
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. shower — to wash
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stock — shares
  12. mate — to breed
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stock — goods
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rush — hurry
  24. club — for golf

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