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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. present — the time now
  3. club — for golf
  4. pit — a hole
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. present — a gift
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. court — for sport
  10. wound — an injury
  11. tear — from crying
  12. club — for dancing
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pit — in a race
  15. court — of a king
  16. tear — to rip
  17. court — of law
  18. club — a group
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. present — there

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