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 just a dried plum.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. date — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bank — of a river
  7. track — a path
  8. wax — to grow
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bank — for money
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. track — a song
  15. rule — a law
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stock — shares
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rule — government
  21. bank — for money
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stock — goods
  24. wax — in the ear

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