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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fall — to drop
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — the season
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. content — happy

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