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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. firm — steady
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. firm — a company
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. firm — decided
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. file — a tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wind — moving air
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mine — an explosive

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