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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. club — for golf
  6. lean — to bend
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. club — a group
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lean — thin
  16. date — the fruit
  17. club — for dancing
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. last — final
  23. hand — part of the body
  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