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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rest — a break
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ball — a dance
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. toast — bread
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pit — a hole

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