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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pop — soda
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fine — high quality
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fine — all right
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pop — to visit
  13. drill — army training
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bore — to tire
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. prune — to trim
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pop — music
  24. prune — to trim

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