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: spring · fan · tube · roll · firm · kick · trunk · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. firm — a company
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. spring — of water
  8. firm — decided
  9. kick — in football
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. firm — steady
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. tube — a container
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. spring — a coil
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. roll — a cake
  23. spring — the season
  24. roll — a list

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