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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. club — for golf
  3. last — to go on
  4. pass — a permit
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. can — a tin
  7. pit — in a race
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. club — a group
  10. last — finally
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. can — a tin
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. last — final
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — a line
  22. club — for dancing
  23. row — to paddle
  24. can — to be able to

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