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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. chest — a box
  3. capital — money
  4. band — a ring
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. band — a music group
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. current — of water
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bear — the animal
  17. dip — to sink
  18. current — electric
  19. capital — a city
  20. chest — of your body
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. current — happening now

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