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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. row — a line
  3. spring — a coil
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. track — a path
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. date — the fruit
  8. track — a song
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. track — to keep track
  12. spring — of water
  13. bear — the animal
  14. toast — bread
  15. chip — to eat
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bear — the animal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. spring — the season

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