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: track · jam · lash · pit · net · cold · arm · pass

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cold — an illness
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. track — a path
  12. cold — not warm
  13. net — for catching
  14. track — a song
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pass — a permit
  19. track — to keep track
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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