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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. chest — a box
  3. tear — from crying
  4. game — a match
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bark — to shout
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. game — wild animals
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tear — from crying
  11. scale — size or range
  12. chest — of your body
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. charge — in control
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. scale — in music
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. chest — of your body
  23. sharp — clever
  24. charge — a price

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