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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. branch — a division
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — a safe
  11. land — a country
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. land — to come down
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cap — of ice
  24. land — ground

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