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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — for money
  5. content — the amount
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bank — for money
  8. kid — child
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. content — happy
  12. rash — a series
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bank — of a river
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rash — hasty

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