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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. cell — in biology
  8. club — for golf
  9. tube — the underground
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. tube — a container
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cell — a phone
  15. snap — to click
  16. spell — magic
  17. club — a group
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. club — for dancing
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. date — the fruit
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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