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: mark · cabinet · march · saw · hand · snap · date · charge

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hand — in cards
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. date — the fruit
  7. charge — a price
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hand — help
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. saw — the tool
  17. march — music
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. snap — to click
  20. charge — in control
  21. mark — a grade
  22. charge — electricity
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. march — the month

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