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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. court — of law
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. drill — the tool
  8. season — in sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. season — of the year
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. drill — army training
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bank — for money
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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