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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. track — a path
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fall — the season
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bank — for money
  11. track — a song
  12. bank — for money
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mate — a partner
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. spell — a short time
  19. track — to keep track
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wax — to grow

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