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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pop — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pop — soda
  10. rock — music
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — the Cold War

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