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 · stick · lie · wave · bulb · bear · jam · racket

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. bear — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bulb — for light
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  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