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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. game — wild animals
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. club — for dancing
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. game — a match
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. root — the cause
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lean — thin
  16. root — of a plant
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. club — for golf
  20. date — the fruit
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. club — a group
  23. root — of a word
  24. cell — a phone

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