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: wound · file · stick · firm · date · pop · rest · season

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. firm — a company
  4. season — in sport
  5. firm — decided
  6. season — of the year
  7. pop — music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pop — soda
  11. date — the fruit
  12. firm — steady
  13. wound — an injury
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wound — an injury
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rest — what's left
  18. file — a document
  19. rest — a break
  20. file — a tool
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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