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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bank — for money
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bank — for money
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kid — child
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. date — the fruit
  12. toast — bread
  13. bank — of a river
  14. kid — to tease
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. content — happy
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. content — the amount

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