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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pit — in a race
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pit — a hole
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. row — a line
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bark — to shout
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mug — a cup
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rest — a break
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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