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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — not warm
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. degree — an amount
  10. swing — music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mark — a trace
  22. degree — temperature
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. degree — from a university

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