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 · coach · content · can · club · rest · stem · lash

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. date — the fruit
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rest — what's left
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. club — for dancing
  10. content — the amount
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. content — happy
  13. club — for golf
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. club — a group
  21. rest — a break
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. can — a tin
  24. date — on the calendar

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