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: dip · date · key · pit · safe · net · tear · cap

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tear — from crying
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cap — a lid
  10. net — after costs
  11. tear — from crying
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pit — a hole
  15. date — the fruit
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cap — of ice
  18. net — in sport
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cap — a hat
  22. net — for catching
  23. pit — in a race
  24. dip — to sink

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