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: spring · arm · leaves · pit · coach · lie · jam · cold

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. spring — of water
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. cold — an illness
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pit — a hole
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cold — not warm
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spring — a coil
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. spring — the season
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. leaves — to go away

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