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: pit · bore · pass · fall · pop · wind · track · cell

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pop — soda
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pop — music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. track — a path
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wind — moving air
  18. track — a song
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fall — the season
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bore — gave birth

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