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: snap · firm · date · sharp · track · row · march · present

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. march — the month
  3. track — a song
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. track — a path
  6. present — a gift
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. present — the time now
  9. march — the month
  10. sharp — clever
  11. march — music
  12. snap — to click
  13. present — there
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. track — to keep track
  16. firm — steady
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. firm — a company
  21. row — to paddle
  22. date — the fruit
  23. sharp — exactly
  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