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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. chip — to eat
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. hand — in cards
  8. shower — rain
  9. rock — a stone
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. staff — employees
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hand — help
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rock — music
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lie — to recline
  24. date — on the calendar

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