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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. tear — to rip
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. date — the fruit
  5. rule — government
  6. land — ground
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. firm — a company
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. land — to come down
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mine — for digging
  23. land — a country
  24. rule — a law

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