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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rule — government
  6. last — final
  7. object — a thing
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. object — to protest
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. last — to go on
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. object — an aim
  24. last — finally

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