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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. land — a country
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rest — what's left
  6. court — for sport
  7. land — to come down
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rest — a break
  10. drill — army training
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. court — of a king
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. court — of law
  18. land — ground
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. dip — to sink

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