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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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. wake — a trail
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. spell — magic
  7. plane — a tool
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. season — of the year
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. spell — letters
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bat — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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