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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. board — a committee
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. last — finally
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cell — in biology
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. last — to go on
  13. board — to get on
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pitch — completely
  16. cell — a phone
  17. last — final
  18. branch — a division
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. branch — of a tree

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