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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mate — a friend
  4. firm — a company
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. firm — steady
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. firm — decided
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. date — on the calendar

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