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 · sharp · rash · mate · stand · jam · club · date

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. mate — a partner
  3. sharp — clever
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. club — for golf
  6. stand — to bear
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. club — a group
  9. rash — hasty
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. tear — from crying
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rash — a series
  18. tear — from crying
  19. club — for dancing
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. sharp — with an edge

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