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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. firm — steady
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. pit — in a race
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fall — to drop
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pit — a hole
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. leaves — to go away

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