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: prune · bear · jam · last · chip · root · kid · date

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. chip — to eat
  6. root — of a word
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. last — finally
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. last — to go on
  15. prune — to trim
  16. root — the cause
  17. last — final
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. date — the fruit
  20. root — of a plant
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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