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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spring — a coil
  3. date — the fruit
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. present — a gift
  13. mate — a partner
  14. present — the time now
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. present — there
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. mate — to breed
  23. last — final
  24. pitcher — a jug

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