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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pit — in a race
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pit — a hole
  7. saw — the tool
  8. spell — magic
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. scale — size or range
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. spell — a short time
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. date — the fruit
  20. scale — in music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ball — a great time
  23. spell — letters
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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