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: charge · snap · squash · wax · rash · date · mate · drill

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mate — a partner
  6. charge — electricity
  7. squash — the sport
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. drill — a practice
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rash — a series
  14. charge — a price
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. drill — army training
  19. snap — to click
  20. charge — in control
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rash — hasty

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