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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. date — the fruit
  3. track — a path
  4. object — an aim
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. squash — to crush
  7. last — finally
  8. object — a thing
  9. cell — in biology
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. land — a country
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. last — final
  14. land — ground
  15. track — a song
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. object — to protest
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. land — to come down
  23. last — to go on
  24. track — to keep track

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