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 · charge · chest · wake · mine · hand · suit · fork

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. chest — a box
  7. mine — for digging
  8. charge — in control
  9. chest — of your body
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. charge — a price
  15. pit — in a race
  16. suit — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. fork — in a road
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fork — a garden tool

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