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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. march — the month
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. march — the month
  11. net — in sport
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. net — for catching
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. march — music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — after costs
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bass — low music
  22. rest — a break
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chair — a leader

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