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: bowl · rock · cap · roll · pit · kid · pass · sharp

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. kid — to tease
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pass — a permit
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. roll — a list
  11. kid — child
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rock — a stone
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rock — music
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pass — to spend time

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