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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. present — the time now
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. roll — a cake
  8. sharp — clever
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pit — in a race
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. present — there
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. present — a gift
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. roll — a list

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