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: fan · last · date · game · root · sharp · band · mug

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. game — a match
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. date — the fruit
  7. band — a ring
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mug — a cup
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. last — finally
  15. band — a music group
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. root — the cause
  19. mug — to rob
  20. last — to go on
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. last — final
  23. root — of a word
  24. mug — a face

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