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: sharp · nail · dip · date · staff · mug · spell · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. staff — a stick
  4. spell — magic
  5. staff — employees
  6. spell — a short time
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. march — music
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mug — to rob
  12. dip — to sink
  13. staff — employees
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. march — the month
  16. mug — a cup
  17. spell — letters
  18. mug — a face
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. date — the fruit
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. dip — to dunk

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