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 120 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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pit — a hole
  3. swing — in golf
  4. chest — a box
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ground — the earth
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. chest — of your body
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. ground — a position
  14. club — for golf
  15. ground — crushed
  16. land — to come down
  17. pit — in a race
  18. club — a group
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. club — for dancing
  21. drill — a practice
  22. chest — of your body
  23. drill — army training
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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