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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. last — finally
  4. charge — in control
  5. sharp — clever
  6. kid — to tease
  7. last — to go on
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. last — final
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. kid — child
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bat — the animal
  21. charge — a price
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — exactly

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