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: deal · sharp · tube · saw · field · coach · date · staff

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. tube — a container
  6. field — for sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. saw — the tool
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. saw — the tool
  14. staff — a stick
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. tube — the underground
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. field — a subject
  20. sharp — clever
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. field — farmland
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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