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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bass — the fish
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. fall — the season
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. swing — in golf
  10. date — the fruit
  11. swing — to play on
  12. fall — to drop
  13. face — part of the head
  14. swing — music
  15. face — to point toward
  16. chest — of your body
  17. face — to confront
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bass — low music
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. cabinet — ministers

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