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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. mate — a partner
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pit — in a race
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pass — a permit
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mate — to breed

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