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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. chest — of your body
  3. object — a thing
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. roll — a list
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. track — a path
  12. object — to protest
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. chest — of your body
  15. date — the fruit
  16. track — to keep track
  17. roll — a cake
  18. object — an aim
  19. track — a song
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. chest — a box
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pitcher — a jug

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