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: hide · stick · wave · bat · content · dip · date · prune

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. content — happy
  9. date — the fruit
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — the amount
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. dip — to sink
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. content — videos and posts

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