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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. row — a line
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pit — a hole
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. suit — to fit
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. content — the amount
  10. pit — in a race
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. swing — music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fine — all right
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. suit — in cards
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. swing — in golf

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