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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pit — a hole
  4. march — the month
  5. firm — decided
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. race — a contest
  10. pit — in a race
  11. march — music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. firm — a company
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. club — a group
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. firm — steady
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — of water
  22. march — the month
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. club — for golf

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