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: shower · date · temple · jam · mouse · last · bay · bat

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. date — the fruit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. last — to go on
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. last — finally
  13. bat — the animal
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. last — final
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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