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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. present — there
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. file — a tool
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. season — of the year
  11. file — a document
  12. snap — to click
  13. present — a gift
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. chair — a leader
  18. present — the time now
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. file — a line of people
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. season — in sport

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