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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bulb — for light
  9. field — for sport
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. field — farmland
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. face — to confront
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. field — a subject
  17. drill — a practice
  18. branch — a division
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bulb — for light
  23. face — to point toward
  24. drill — army training

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