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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pit — in a race
  7. row — a line
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wake — a trail
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. game — a match
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. season — of the year
  17. can — a tin
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pit — a hole
  24. season — in sport

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