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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fall — to drop
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. land — a country
  11. sharp — clever
  12. land — ground
  13. pit — a hole
  14. craft — boats
  15. land — to come down
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fall — the season
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pit — in a race

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