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: rule · present · pit · fork · jam · rush · straw · snap

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rule — government
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fork — in a road
  16. present — there
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rule — a law
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. present — the time now
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pit — in a race

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