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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. scale — in music
  3. rest — a break
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pit — a hole
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rest — what's left
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. cue — a hint
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pit — in a race
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rest — what's left

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