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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pit — a hole
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. club — a group
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lie — to recline
  9. drill — army training
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. drill — a practice
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. can — a tin
  15. pit — in a race
  16. drill — the tool
  17. club — for golf
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. firm — a company
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. club — for dancing
  23. can — a tin
  24. firm — decided

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