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: lean · jam · calf · date · wake · leaves · fall · ground

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fall — the season
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wake — a trail
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. ground — a position
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fall — to drop
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. lean — thin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ground — the earth

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