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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mate — to breed
  6. root — the cause
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rash — a series
  9. mate — a partner
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. scale — size or range
  13. tube — a container
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. scale — in music
  17. mate — a friend
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rash — hasty
  20. root — of a word
  21. mine — for digging
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pit — in a race
  24. tube — the underground

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