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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. swing — in golf
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. spell — letters
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. spring — of water
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. branch — a division
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pit — a hole
  16. swing — to play on
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pit — in a race
  20. spell — magic
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. swing — music
  24. spring — the season

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