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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. capital — a city
  6. cold — an illness
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cold — not warm
  13. capital — money
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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