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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cue — a signal
  5. game — a match
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bass — low music
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rash — hasty
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pit — a hole
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. lie — to recline

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