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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rest — a break
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bear — the animal
  6. row — a line
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. land — to come down
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rest — what's left
  11. press — a publisher
  12. land — a country
  13. press — to push
  14. last — finally
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. last — final
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. last — to go on
  22. date — the fruit
  23. land — ground
  24. mouse — the animal

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