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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bass — low music
  6. stand — to bear
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rest — a break
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pit — in a race
  12. root — of a word
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. tube — the underground
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wound — an injury
  18. root — the cause
  19. wound — an injury
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. snap — to click
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. tube — a container

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