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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pop — music
  7. swing — music
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. root — of a word
  15. present — there
  16. root — the cause
  17. pop — to visit
  18. present — the time now
  19. pop — soda
  20. root — of a plant
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. present — a gift
  24. sharp — clever

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