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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wind — moving air
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. snap — to click
  7. fall — to drop
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. fall — the season
  11. branch — a division
  12. scale — size or range
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wind — moving air
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pit — a hole
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. scale — in music
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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