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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. last — final
  3. spell — magic
  4. pit — a hole
  5. swing — in golf
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. hand — in cards
  10. last — finally
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. hand — help
  14. swing — music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. last — to go on
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rush — a thrill

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