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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lean — thin
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. spring — of water
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — to cut
  13. spring — a coil
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. spring — the season
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. clip — for paper
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in 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