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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. fine — high quality
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rule — government
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. mark — a grade
  14. hand — help
  15. cap — a hat
  16. hand — in cards
  17. net — for catching
  18. mark — a trace
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. game — wild animals
  21. net — after costs
  22. fine — all right
  23. rule — a law
  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