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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. ground — the earth
  5. season — of the year
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. row — a line
  9. season — in sport
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. plane — a tool
  12. ground — a position
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ground — crushed
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. hide — to keep secret

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