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 · rest · can · scale · stand · rash · fan · kick

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. date — the fruit
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. stand — to bear
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rash — a series
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. kick — in football
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. scale — in music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rash — hasty
  24. can — a tin

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