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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rest — a break
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. pit — a hole
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. current — happening now
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chest — a box
  24. leaves — lets stay

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