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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pass — a permit
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stock — shares
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stock — goods
  15. last — finally
  16. wound — an injury
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pop — music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. pit — in a race

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