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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. row — to paddle
  12. scale — in music
  13. present — the time now
  14. row — a line
  15. tear — from crying
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. present — there
  19. sharp — clever
  20. scale — size or range
  21. current — electric
  22. present — a gift
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bulb — for light

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