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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. sharp — clever
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pound — a weight
  9. court — for sport
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. object — an aim
  13. plane — a tool
  14. object — a thing
  15. court — of law
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. key — in music
  18. object — to protest
  19. key — the most important part
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. prune — to trim
  24. court — of a king

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