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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · rest · pit · straw · bass · roll · tear · cell

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rest — a break
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. roll — a list
  9. rest — what's left
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bass — low music
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pit — a hole
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. tear — from crying
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bass — the fish
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cell — a phone
  23. roll — a cake
  24. rest — what's left

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