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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pit — in a race
  4. chair — a leader
  5. field — for sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pit — a hole
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. shower — rain
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. field — farmland
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bank — of a river
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bank — for money
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. field — a subject
  24. date — the fruit

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