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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bound — certain
  6. toast — bread
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. tube — the underground
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bound — obliged
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. date — the fruit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. fall — the season
  21. tube — a container
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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