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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mark — a grade
  4. ground — the earth
  5. swing — in golf
  6. ground — crushed
  7. drill — the tool
  8. shower — rain
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. kick — in football
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. drill — army training
  15. pit — a hole
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mark — a trace
  19. ground — a position
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pit — in a race
  22. squash — to crush
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. swing — music

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