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: date · sharp · mine · bear · bound · fall · temple · track

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bound — obliged
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bound — certain
  7. mine — for digging
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bear — the animal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. track — a song
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bear — the animal
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fall — to drop
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bound — tied together
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. track — a path
  24. fall — the season

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