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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. board — to get on
  5. staff — employees
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. roll — a list
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. board — a committee
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. staff — a stick
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. date — the fruit
  20. staff — employees
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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