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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. court — for sport
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bore — to drill
  12. season — of the year
  13. pit — a hole
  14. hand — in cards
  15. court — of law
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. court — of a king
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hand — help
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. season — in sport

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