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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. fine — high quality
  9. file — a line of people
  10. chest — of your body
  11. date — the fruit
  12. chest — of your body
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bark — to shout
  15. fine — all right
  16. pitch — completely
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. file — a document
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. chest — a box
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. file — a tool
  24. rock — music

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