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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. season — of the year
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spring — of water
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fine — high quality
  11. spring — a coil
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spring — the season
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. net — for catching
  17. season — in sport
  18. temple — side of the head

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