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: cap · sharp · bay · spell · mine · squash · date · bear

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mine — for digging
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. spell — magic
  11. date — the fruit
  12. squash — the sport
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spell — letters
  24. sharp — with an edge

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