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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — a partner
  7. date — the fruit
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. shower — rain
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bowl — a football final

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