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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. kid — to tease
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. capital — a city
  8. can — a tin
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. rush — hurry
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. kid — child
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bear — the animal
  22. capital — money
  23. can — a tin
  24. date — the fruit

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