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 120 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: spell · pit · suit · key · mine · rash · wound · tube

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. suit — to fit
  3. spell — magic
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. suit — clothes
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rash — a series
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rash — hasty
  13. suit — in cards
  14. key — in music
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. spell — letters
  21. tube — a container
  22. wound — an injury
  23. key — for a lock
  24. spell — a short time

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