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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. drill — army training
  5. current — electric
  6. drill — a practice
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. lean — thin
  10. ground — crushed
  11. current — of water
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ground — a position
  17. current — happening now
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. ground — the earth
  23. drill — the tool
  24. chip — to eat

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