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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. firm — steady
  3. wax — to grow
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. hand — help
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rush — hurry
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. firm — a company
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pitch — completely
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. firm — decided

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