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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. last — final
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rock — music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. content — the amount
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. shower — to wash
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. last — to go on
  13. content — happy
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. last — finally
  16. shower — rain
  17. rock — a stone
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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