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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. swing — music
  6. net — in sport
  7. swing — to play on
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wind — moving air
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cap — a hat
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. net — for catching
  19. cap — a lid
  20. net — after costs
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. dip — to sink
  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