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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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. plane — in geometry
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. game — wild animals
  8. drill — army training
  9. plane — a tool
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. drill — the tool
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rule — a law
  17. chest — of your body
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pit — in a race
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rule — government
  22. game — a match
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. drill — a practice

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