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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. club — for golf
  6. cap — a hat
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. date — the fruit
  13. plane — a tool
  14. present — the time now
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rash — hasty
  17. club — a group
  18. stand — to bear
  19. present — there
  20. cap — of ice
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rash — a series
  24. cap — a lid

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