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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bat — the animal
  7. band — a ring
  8. bore — to tire
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fine — all right
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. band — a music group
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fine — high quality
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. chair — to sit on

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