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: coach · season · nail · mate · dip · bass · wave · date

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. date — the fruit
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bass — low music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. season — in sport
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mate — a friend
  17. season — of the year
  18. bass — the fish
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. date — on the calendar

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