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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. file — a document
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. face — to point toward
  18. march — music
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wind — moving air

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