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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. chest — a box
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rest — a break
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rest — what's left
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. court — of law
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chest — of your body
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. march — the month

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