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: rush · arm · cell · chair · date · spell · mate · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cell — in biology
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cell — a phone
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rush — hurry
  12. spell — letters
  13. chair — a leader
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mate — a partner
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mate — a friend
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chair — a professorship

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