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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. suit — to fit
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pit — a hole
  7. court — for sport
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. suit — in cards
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. court — of law
  16. pit — in a race
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. court — of a king
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. plane — a tool
  21. band — a ring
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. scale — in music

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