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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. staff — employees
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. season — of the year
  5. pit — in a race
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pit — a hole
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rest — a break
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rest — what's left
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. season — in sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. staff — employees

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