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: net · deal · cabinet · bay · temple · cold · date · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. net — in sport
  8. cold — an illness
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. date — the fruit
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. spell — magic
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. spell — a short time
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cold — not warm
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. deal — a big deal

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