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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pit — a hole
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fine — all right
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pit — in a race
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mine — belonging to me

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