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: date · saw · bat · cap · charge · pitcher · present · nail

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. charge — in control
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. present — a gift
  12. charge — electricity
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cap — a hat
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. charge — a price
  24. pitcher — a jug

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