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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. game — a match
  4. scale — in music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pit — a hole
  7. saw — the tool
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. prune — to trim
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. can — a tin
  15. pit — in a race
  16. prune — to trim
  17. saw — the tool
  18. press — to push
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. can — a tin
  21. press — a publisher
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. press — newspapers
  24. patient — a sick person

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