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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rule — a law
  4. march — the month
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. march — music
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. game — a match
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rock — music
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. game — wild animals
  15. court — for sport
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. court — of law
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rule — government
  20. court — of a king
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. rock — to move gently
  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