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: bat · march · current · date · face · hide · cue · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bat — the animal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. date — the fruit
  9. current — electric
  10. march — music
  11. cue — a signal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. march — the month
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. current — happening now
  16. face — to confront
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. current — of water
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. march — the month
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cue — for pool

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