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: track · mine · date · trunk · kid · stick · lash · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. date — the fruit
  5. kid — child
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. track — a song
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. dip — to sink
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mine — for digging
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. kid — to tease
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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