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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. march — music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. march — the month
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bass — low music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. march — the month

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