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 don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. club — for golf
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. foot — a measure
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. date — the fruit
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fine — high quality
  18. chest — a box
  19. pop — soda
  20. club — for dancing
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pop — music
  23. club — a group
  24. foot — the bottom

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