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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. club — for golf
  3. rock — a stone
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rock — music
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rash — a series
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. club — a group
  13. tear — from crying
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. club — for dancing
  22. toast — bread
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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