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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. kick — in football
  3. last — to go on
  4. swing — music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pit — a hole
  8. last — final
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pass — a permit
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. last — finally
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pit — in a race
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. swing — to play on
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. deal — a big deal

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