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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. track — to keep track
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. key — in music
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. craft — boats
  15. track — a path
  16. date — the fruit
  17. sharp — clever
  18. track — a song
  19. key — the most important part
  20. craft — a skill
  21. key — for a lock
  22. content — the amount
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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