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 120 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stand — to bear
  9. row — a line
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rule — government
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rock — music
  22. rule — a law
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. racket — for tennis

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