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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. face — part of the head
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. present — the time now
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bulb — for light
  11. present — a gift
  12. drill — a practice
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. tear — from crying
  20. present — there
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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