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: racket · bulb · chest · wave · date · staff · season · dip

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. date — the fruit
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chest — a box
  8. season — of the year
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. staff — employees
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. dip — to sink
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chest — of your body
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bulb — for light
  24. dip — to dunk

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