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: fine · suit · kid · drill · pop · game · pit · season

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. kid — child
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fine — high quality
  7. drill — a practice
  8. season — in sport
  9. pit — in a race
  10. suit — to fit
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pop — soda
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kid — to tease
  15. suit — clothes
  16. drill — army training
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. drill — the tool
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fine — all right
  22. pit — a hole
  23. game — wild animals
  24. fine — a penalty

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