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: safe · prune · pound · cold · face · roll · lash · date

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. date — the fruit
  5. face — to confront
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cold — not warm
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. roll — a list
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. prune — to trim
  17. face — part of the head
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pound — a weight
  20. prune — to trim
  21. face — to point toward
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cold — an illness
  24. prune — the fruit

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