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: stick · club · toast · cabinet · bear · stem · date · root

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. club — for dancing
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. club — for golf
  6. stem — to come from
  7. root — of a word
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. root — the cause
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. root — of a plant
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. toast — bread
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. club — a group
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. date — the fruit
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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