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: date · last · mark · chair · pit · fall · wave · shower

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. fall — the season
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. last — to go on
  8. pit — in a race
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mark — a trace
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pit — a hole
  16. chair — a leader
  17. last — finally
  18. shower — rain
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. last — final

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