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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rock — music
  6. field — for sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. field — farmland
  10. cue — a hint
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. drill — army training
  14. field — a subject
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. key — in music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cue — for pool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. dip — to sink

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