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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pit — in a race
  5. clip — a video
  6. capital — money
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. object — an aim
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. clip — to cut
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. capital — a city
  14. object — a thing
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. firm — steady
  20. wake — a trail
  21. object — to protest
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. capital — a big letter

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