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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. season — of the year
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pound — a weight
  9. shower — rain
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. shower — to wash
  14. season — in sport
  15. sharp — clever
  16. vault — a safe
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. date — on the calendar

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