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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fine — all right
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. scale — in music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bulb — for light
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — an illness
  21. bulb — for light
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. rush — to hurry

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