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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rest — a break
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cold — not warm

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