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 · tube · shower · mate · pop · mark · kick · current

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. current — happening now
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. current — of water
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mark — a trace
  7. tube — a container
  8. mate — a friend
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. pop — soda
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pit — in a race
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mark — a grade
  18. kick — in football
  19. pop — to visit
  20. current — electric
  21. pop — music
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pit — a hole

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