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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. court — for sport
  5. date — the fruit
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. court — of law
  8. cell — a phone
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. toast — bread
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stand — to bear
  16. court — of a king
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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