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 · pitcher · rash · cell · jam · board · rush · drill

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. date — the fruit
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. drill — a practice
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. drill — army training
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. board — to get on
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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