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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. ground — crushed
  3. date — the fruit
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. scale — size or range
  12. face — to point toward
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ground — a position
  15. rule — government
  16. ground — the earth
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rule — a law
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. toast — bread
  22. file — a tool
  23. face — to confront
  24. scale — in music

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