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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. date — the fruit
  7. hand — in cards
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mug — a cup
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mug — a face
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hand — help
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. chip — in a computer

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