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: drill · scale · bear · mine · toast · pass · date · ball

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. scale — size or range
  3. date — the fruit
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bear — the animal
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. toast — bread
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. drill — army training
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pass — a permit
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. scale — in music
  24. toast — the most admired

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