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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. season — in sport
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. deal — to handle
  7. staff — employees
  8. net — for catching
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. staff — employees
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. season — of the year
  16. net — after costs
  17. rock — a stone
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. net — in sport
  21. rock — music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bat — the animal

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