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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pit — a hole
  3. suit — clothes
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. present — there
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. spell — magic
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. tube — a container
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. tube — the underground
  14. present — the time now
  15. lean — to bend
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. capital — money
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pit — in a race
  21. present — a gift
  22. capital — a city
  23. spell — letters
  24. suit — in cards

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