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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — in a road
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. swing — in golf
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. date — the fruit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. tear — from crying
  16. deal — to handle
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. swing — music
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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