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: root · mouse · date · key · band · last · perch · club

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. date — the fruit
  3. band — a music group
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. club — for dancing
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. last — to go on
  8. club — for golf
  9. band — a ring
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. key — for a lock
  12. last — finally
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. club — a group
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. key — in music
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. key — the most important part
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. perch — the fish

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