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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. file — a tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. tear — to rip
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. tear — from crying
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. sharp — clever
  15. tear — from crying
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bear — the animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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