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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. suit — in cards
  4. last — final
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. last — to go on
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mark — a trace
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mark — a grade
  12. last — finally
  13. snap — to click
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. suit — to fit
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wax — to grow
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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