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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cell — a phone
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cell — in biology
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wax — to grow
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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