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: shower · date · tube · patient · charge · drill · stock · squash

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. drill — a practice
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. squash — the sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. drill — the tool
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stock — shares
  12. drill — army training
  13. shower — rain
  14. charge — in control
  15. shower — to wash
  16. stock — goods
  17. tube — the underground
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. tube — a container
  21. squash — to crush
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. tube — in a tire

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