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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. firm — decided
  5. date — the fruit
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cold — an illness
  8. club — for dancing
  9. firm — steady
  10. cold — not warm
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. firm — a company
  15. rock — music
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. game — a match
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. toast — bread

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