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: mug · date · snap · present · court · squash · cap · fine

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mug — a face
  5. court — of law
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cap — a hat
  8. squash — the sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. date — the fruit
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mug — a cup
  14. court — for sport
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. present — a gift
  17. snap — to click
  18. squash — to crush
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fine — all right
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cap — a lid
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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