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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wound — an injury
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. field — farmland
  16. pitch — completely
  17. field — for sport
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. field — a subject
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bark — to shout
  22. suit — clothes
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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