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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. race — a contest
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. band — a music group
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pit — in a race
  9. race — humankind
  10. mark — a grade
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mark — a trace
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. band — a ring
  24. bark — of a tree

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