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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. spell — a short time
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pit — a hole
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. perch — the fish
  11. spell — letters
  12. pit — in a race
  13. sharp — clever
  14. spell — magic
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. dip — to sink
  24. chip — to eat

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