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: date · perch · last · bore · kick · mark · lean · rush

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lean — to bend
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bore — to drill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bore — to tire
  10. last — finally
  11. perch — the fish
  12. last — final
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. last — to go on
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lean — thin
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rush — hurry
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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