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: lash · cabinet · mate · wake · chair · spring · lie · date

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. date — the fruit
  4. mate — a partner
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mate — to breed
  7. spring — of water
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — a trail
  10. spring — a coil
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. chair — a leader
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wake — before a funeral

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