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: pitcher · date · lash · mate · key · staff · cell · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. date — the fruit
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. cell — a phone
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. mate — a partner
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. staff — employees
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mate — to breed
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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