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: snap · dip · cell · kick · row · temple · date · clip

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. kick — in football
  4. dip — to sink
  5. clip — for paper
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. row — to paddle
  8. clip — to cut
  9. snap — to click
  10. clip — a video
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. date — the fruit
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. row — a line
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cell — in a prison

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