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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bound — certain
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bound — obliged
  5. spell — magic
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. row — a line
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fork — in a road
  17. prune — to trim
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bound — tied together
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fork — a garden tool

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