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: bulb · date · cold · object · stand · calf · temple · racket

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. object — a thing
  4. date — the fruit
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cold — not warm
  13. object — an aim
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. object — to protest
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cold — an illness
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. racket — a loud noise

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