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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hand — help
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fall — to drop
  13. spell — magic
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. spell — letters
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mark — a grade
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. fall — the season
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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