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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. current — of water
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cap — of ice
  8. file — a tool
  9. branch — a division
  10. tear — to rip
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. current — electric
  13. file — a document
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. file — a line of people
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cap — a hat
  24. branch — of a bank

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