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 116 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: present · cabinet · wave · drill · stand · bear · row · pit

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. present — the time now
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. drill — the tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. row — a line
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. present — there
  15. row — to paddle
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pit — a hole
  19. drill — army training
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pit — in a race
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bear — to put up with

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