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: toast · game · craft · pit · rash · lean · chair · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. craft — boats
  3. pit — a hole
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. lean — to bend
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. game — a match
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. drill — army training
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. lean — thin
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. craft — a skill
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rash — hasty
  21. toast — bread
  22. rash — a series
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lean — to rest against

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