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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. tear — from crying
  3. spell — letters
  4. date — the fruit
  5. firm — a company
  6. tear — to rip
  7. spring — the season
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. spring — of water
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. firm — decided
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spell — a short time
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. spring — a coil
  22. firm — steady
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. spell — magic

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