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 ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mate — a friend
  5. spell — magic
  6. mate — a partner
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a leader
  12. branch — a division
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mate — to breed
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bat — the animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. spell — letters
  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