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: ball · date · march · temple · rash · stick · trunk · bear

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. date — the fruit
  3. rash — a series
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ball — a dance
  6. march — the month
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. temple — a place of worship

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