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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cue — for pool
  4. tear — from crying
  5. last — finally
  6. tear — from crying
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cue — a signal
  9. firm — a company
  10. rest — a break
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. last — final
  13. wound — an injury
  14. firm — steady
  15. last — to go on
  16. firm — decided
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cue — a hint
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rest — what's left
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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