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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pop — music
  4. march — music
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pop — soda
  8. ball — a dance
  9. march — the month
  10. wind — moving air
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pop — to visit
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. wind — moving air
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. march — the month

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