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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. band — a ring
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. date — the fruit
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. firm — decided
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. last — final
  14. firm — a company
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rash — a series
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mine — for digging
  19. band — a music group
  20. last — to go on
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. last — finally
  24. firm — steady

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