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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. can — to be able to
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. spring — a coil
  7. current — electric
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pit — in a race
  10. current — happening now
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cell — in biology
  13. snap — to click
  14. spring — of water
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. spring — the season
  20. can — a tin
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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