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: pit · wake · date · mug · calf · chip · season · march

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. mug — to rob
  9. season — in sport
  10. mug — a cup
  11. season — of the year
  12. march — the month
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. date — the fruit
  15. chip — to eat
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mug — a face
  18. wake — a trail
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pit — a hole
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chip — for betting

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