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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mug — a face
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bear — the animal
  6. current — electric
  7. firm — a company
  8. file — a tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wind — moving air
  12. current — happening now
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. mug — to rob
  16. date — the fruit
  17. file — a document
  18. current — of water
  19. file — a line of people
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mug — a cup
  23. wind — moving air
  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