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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. march — the month
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rush — hurry
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. rest — what's left
  12. march — the month
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rest — a break
  17. march — music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cap — of ice
  21. chair — a leader
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cap — a lid

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