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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · chair · wave · date · club · march

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. march — music
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. march — the month
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. march — the month
  10. club — a group
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chair — a leader
  13. club — for golf
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. club — for dancing
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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