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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. lie — to recline
  5. land — a country
  6. bass — the fish
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bass — low music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. shower — rain
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. date — the fruit
  23. firm — steady
  24. bass — the instrument

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