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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rest — a break
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mug — a face
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rest — what's left
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mug — a cup
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mug — to rob
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. last — final
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. last — to go on
  21. cell — in biology
  22. last — finally
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cell — in a prison

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