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: season · bay · pitcher · straw · suit · race · tear · date

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. race — the arms race
  3. tear — to rip
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. race — a contest
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. race — humankind
  19. tear — from crying
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. suit — to fit
  23. season — in sport
  24. suit — clothes

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