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: pop · leaves · hand · saw · pit · pitcher · mark · present

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pop — music
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. hand — help
  8. mark — a trace
  9. present — the time now
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pop — soda
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pop — to visit
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mark — a grade
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. leaves — lets stay

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