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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bound — tied together
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bound — certain
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. tube — the underground
  13. prune — to trim
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. snap — to click
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. tube — a container
  20. pit — in a race
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pit — a hole

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