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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pass — a permit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. sharp — clever
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. date — the fruit
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. net — after costs
  18. mate — a partner
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pass — to succeed

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