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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. hand — in cards
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. current — electric
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. hand — help
  17. current — of water
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — happening now
  21. date — the fruit
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. face — to confront
  24. squash — to crush

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