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: arm · date · mine · hand · tube · pass

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. date — the fruit
  4. pass — a permit
  5. tube — the underground
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. tube — a container
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. hand — in cards

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