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: cell · bank · date · lie · trunk · mine · fan · straw

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bank — of a river
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cell — in biology
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mine — for digging
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cell — a phone
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bank — for money
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bank — for money

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