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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. root — of a word
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bound — certain
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pit — in a race
  9. root — of a plant
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. root — the cause
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bound — obliged
  17. branch — a division
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fine — all right
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pit — a hole
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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