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: chest · pit · ruler · roll · pop · rush · mate · band

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. roll — a cake
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. roll — a list
  5. pit — in a race
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pop — soda
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rush — hurry
  11. chest — of your body
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pop — music
  16. pit — a hole
  17. band — a music group
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mate — a partner
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mate — a friend
  23. chest — a box
  24. rush — to hurry

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