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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. last — finally
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. hand — help
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. last — to go on
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. last — final
  10. date — the fruit
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. club — a group
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pit — in a race

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