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 124 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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. march — the month
  3. current — happening now
  4. march — music
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. net — for catching
  7. cold — an illness
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. charge — in control
  11. march — the month
  12. current — of water
  13. cold — not warm
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pit — a hole
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pit — in a race
  20. charge — electricity
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. current — electric
  24. charge — a price

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