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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. track — a song
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stand — to bear
  12. track — to keep track
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cell — a phone

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