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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rule — a law
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mine — for digging
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rule — government
  13. kid — child
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. face — to confront
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pit — a hole
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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