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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. fine — all right
  3. charge — in control
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pit — in a race
  6. tube — the underground
  7. season — of the year
  8. land — a country
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. tube — a container
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. season — in sport
  18. land — ground
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mine — for digging
  23. charge — a price
  24. fine — a penalty

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