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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. root — of a word
  3. band — a ring
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. spring — a coil
  6. root — the cause
  7. pitch — completely
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. band — a music group
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bank — for money
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. date — the fruit
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cue — a hint

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