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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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. wind — moving air
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mug — a face
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wind — moving air
  13. board — to get on
  14. scale — in music
  15. mug — a cup
  16. kid — child
  17. mug — to rob
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. board — a committee
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. board — a flat piece

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