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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. date — the fruit
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. row — a line
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lean — thin
  9. game — a match
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bear — the animal
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. roll — a list
  16. row — to paddle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lean — to bend
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. roll — a cake

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