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: bat · pit · stand · pop · date · leaves · wake · squash

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. date — the fruit
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bat — the animal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pop — music
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. squash — the sport
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pop — soda
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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