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 124 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. sharp — clever
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. present — a gift
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. dip — to sink
  13. branch — a division
  14. rush — hurry
  15. snap — to click
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stem — to come from

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