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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. content — the amount
  5. band — a ring
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. march — the month
  10. band — a music group
  11. pit — a hole
  12. content — happy
  13. object — to protest
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. object — a thing
  16. shower — rain
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. march — music
  19. shower — to wash
  20. object — an aim
  21. pit — in a race
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. march — the month

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