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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pit — a hole
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. march — the month
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. march — the month
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rush — hurry
  12. date — the fruit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. saw — the tool
  20. march — music
  21. press — to push
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. press — newspapers

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