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: suit · pop · bore · pass · wound · season · pit · net

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pit — a hole
  7. net — in sport
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. net — for catching
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bore — to drill
  12. season — of the year
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bore — to tire
  16. net — after costs
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. season — in sport
  24. wound — an injury

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