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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. game — a match
  5. tear — from crying
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rest — a break
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. content — happy
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tear — to rip
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rest — what's left
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. content — the amount

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