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: last · prune · bear · date · mate · lean · shower · cabinet

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. last — to go on
  4. mate — to breed
  5. prune — to trim
  6. last — final
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mate — a partner
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mate — a friend
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. shower — rain
  18. date — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bear — the animal
  22. last — finally
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lean — to rest against

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