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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chest — a box
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. chest — of your body
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. press — a publisher
  12. chest — of your body
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wake — a trail
  15. last — finally
  16. date — the fruit
  17. last — to go on
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. vault — a safe
  24. press — to push

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