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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · bear · squash · date · tear · rest · roll · lash

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. squash — to crush
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. squash — the sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rest — what's left
  18. roll — a list
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. squash — the vegetable

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