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: bat · saw · date · sharp · pass · arm · nail · spring

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. spring — of water
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bat — the animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. saw — the tool
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. spring — the season
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pass — a permit
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. spring — a coil
  24. saw — the tool

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