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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. march — the month
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. march — music
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. march — the month
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bass — low music
  18. pitcher — a jug

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