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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. row — a line
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cell — a phone
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. vault — a safe
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. race — a contest
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. row — to paddle
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. race — humankind
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ball — a great time

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