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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rest — what's left
  3. land — ground
  4. kick — in football
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. land — to come down
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. field — a subject
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pit — in a race
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pit — a hole
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. land — a country
  19. rest — a break
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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