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: date · land · saw · wound · sharp · last · board · bore

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. last — final
  7. sharp — clever
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. board — to get on
  11. bore — to drill
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — to tire
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. board — a committee
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. board — a flat piece

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