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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. season — in sport
  4. cue — for pool
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. vault — a safe
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bank — for money
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mine — for digging
  18. firm — steady
  19. bank — for money
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. season — of the year
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wax — to grow

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