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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. tube — a container
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rash — a series
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. tube — the underground
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. arm — part of the body

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