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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. kick — in football
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stem — to come from
  7. face — to confront
  8. net — for catching
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bound — tied together
  11. net — after costs
  12. bound — certain
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. face — part of the head
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pound — a weight
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. net — in sport

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