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 120 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: race · season · track · mine · pass · present · swing · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pass — a permit
  3. track — a song
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. swing — music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. swing — to play on
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. present — the time now
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pit — in a race
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mine — for digging
  19. season — in sport
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. season — of the year
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. track — a path

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