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: dip · foot · row · cap · date · drill · wound · last

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. last — to go on
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. drill — army training
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. last — finally
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cap — of ice
  13. foot — a measure
  14. last — final
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cap — a lid
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cap — a hat

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