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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. kid — child
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fine — all right
  7. band — a ring
  8. file — a tool
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fine — high quality
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cell — in biology
  14. file — a line of people
  15. date — the fruit
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. band — a music group
  20. kid — to tease
  21. ball — a great time
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. file — a document
  24. date — on the calendar

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