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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. craft — boats
  3. key — in music
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rock — a stone
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rock — music
  9. roll — a cake
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pit — in a race
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. key — for a lock
  16. chest — of your body
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pit — a hole
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. craft — a skill
  22. roll — a list
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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