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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — a contest
  6. bark — to shout
  7. land — ground
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. land — a country
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. land — to come down
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wound — an injury
  18. kick — in football
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wound — an injury

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