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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. chip — to eat
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. hand — help
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mate — a friend
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fine — all right
  16. hand — in cards
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cell — in biology
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chip — in a computer

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