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: march · chest · roll · date · wave · current · spell · rock

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rock — a stone
  4. spell — magic
  5. current — of water
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. march — music
  8. rock — music
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. march — the month
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. spell — a short time
  13. roll — a list
  14. chest — of your body
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. march — the month
  18. chest — of your body
  19. spell — letters
  20. chest — a box
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  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