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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. shower — to wash
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rush — hurry
  11. shower — rain
  12. pitch — completely
  13. date — the fruit
  14. face — to confront
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. scale — size or range
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. face — part of the head
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. jam — in traffic

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