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 · trunk · foot · stand · game · pop · mine · wave

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. game — a match
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pop — soda
  9. game — wild animals
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pop — music
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pit — a hole
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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