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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. suit — to fit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cell — in biology
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. suit — in cards
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. kid — child
  18. branch — a division
  19. pit — in a race
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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