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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. last — finally
  5. bank — for money
  6. last — final
  7. bank — of a river
  8. spring — of water
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rest — a break
  14. spring — the season
  15. last — to go on
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. face — to confront
  18. rest — what's left
  19. spring — a coil
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — a hat
  24. face — part of the head

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