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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. row — a line
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. row — to paddle
  8. current — of water
  9. bass — the fish
  10. foot — a measure
  11. band — a ring
  12. current — happening now
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. drill — army training
  15. current — electric
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bass — low music
  22. band — a music group
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. date — on the calendar

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