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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. last — finally
  3. net — after costs
  4. spell — letters
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cap — a lid
  7. last — final
  8. staff — employees
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — magic
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. last — to go on
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cap — of ice

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