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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pit — a hole
  4. staff — employees
  5. rule — government
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. band — a music group
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rule — a law
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. band — a ring
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pit — in a race
  21. track — a path
  22. pitch — completely
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. staff — a stick

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