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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cold — an illness
  4. face — part of the head
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. wake — a trail
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pop — music
  15. face — to confront
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pit — in a race
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pop — soda
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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