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: game · can · firm · prune · tear · date · calf · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. date — the fruit
  3. firm — a company
  4. prune — to trim
  5. can — to be able to
  6. tear — from crying
  7. prune — to trim
  8. tear — from crying
  9. can — a tin
  10. track — a song
  11. can — a tin
  12. game — wild animals
  13. firm — decided
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. game — a match
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. track — to keep track
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. firm — steady
  21. tear — to rip
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. game — a kind of play

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