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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. season — in sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. root — of a word
  7. season — of the year
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pit — in a race
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. can — to be able to
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. scale — in music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. can — a tin
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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