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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. land — ground
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. land — to come down
  7. fall — to drop
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. can — a tin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. date — the fruit
  13. club — for golf
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. land — a country
  17. fall — to drop
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. scale — in music
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. club — a group
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fall — the season
  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