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: ball · leaves · pit · jam · snap · nail · saw · march

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pit — in a race
  5. ball — a dance
  6. march — the month
  7. ball — a great time
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. saw — the tool
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. saw — the tool
  16. march — music
  17. pit — a hole
  18. snap — to click
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. march — the month
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. nail — for a hammer

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