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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. face — to confront
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wake — a trail
  7. face — part of the head
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. tube — a container
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mine — for digging

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