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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rest — a break
  4. kick — in football
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. game — a match
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. fine — all right
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. game — wild animals
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. date — the fruit
  24. march — the month

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