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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pop — to visit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pit — in a race
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pop — music
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pop — soda

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