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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wound — an injury
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cap — a lid
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cap — a hat
  16. date — the fruit
  17. mine — for digging
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wound — an injury
  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