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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. drill — a practice
  4. last — finally
  5. pit — in a race
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lean — thin
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. field — farmland
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pit — a hole
  17. last — final
  18. field — a subject
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. field — for sport
  22. last — to go on
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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