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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. firm — steady
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. game — wild animals
  7. present — the time now
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. firm — a company
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. game — a match
  13. present — there
  14. march — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. march — the month
  17. scale — in music
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bulb — for light
  22. scale — size or range
  23. march — the month
  24. firm — decided

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