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 · fine · trunk · bear · field · race · squash · key

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. field — for sport
  3. key — for a lock
  4. squash — the sport
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. key — in music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. race — a contest
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. race — the arms race
  20. field — a subject
  21. squash — to crush
  22. field — farmland
  23. race — humankind
  24. squash — the vegetable

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