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: spring · plane · object · ball · tear · stock · suit · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. suit — in cards
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. suit — clothes
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stock — shares
  7. object — to protest
  8. suit — to fit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. spring — the season
  11. tear — from crying
  12. spring — of water
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. object — an aim
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stock — goods
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. plane — a tool
  23. object — a thing
  24. spring — a coil

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