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 · swing · hide · snap · sharp · present · fan · cell

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. cell — in biology
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. snap — to click
  8. swing — music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. present — the time now
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. swing — in golf
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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