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: hide · date · land · mate · ball · chest

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mate — a friend
  3. ball — a great time
  4. date — the fruit
  5. land — a country
  6. mate — to breed
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. land — to come down
  9. ball — a dance
  10. land — ground
  11. chest — a box
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mate — a partner
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chest — of your body

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