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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ball — a great time
  8. spell — letters
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. row — to paddle
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. row — a line
  18. drill — a practice
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. drill — the tool
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. date — the fruit
  23. drill — army training
  24. spell — magic

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