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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wake — a trail
  4. band — a music group
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ground — crushed
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. band — a ring
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. ground — the earth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ground — a position
  21. dip — to sink
  22. date — the fruit
  23. fine — all right
  24. date — on the calendar

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