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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pit — a hole
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hand — help
  7. snap — to click
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. land — a country
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. rock — music

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