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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. face — part of the head
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. club — for dancing
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. club — for golf
  11. face — to confront
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. ball — a dance
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ball — a great time
  19. date — the fruit
  20. season — of the year
  21. dip — to sink
  22. club — a group
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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