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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. land — to come down
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. land — ground
  6. spell — letters
  7. chair — a leader
  8. net — for catching
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. drill — a practice
  13. spell — a short time
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. spell — magic
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. land — a country
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. sharp — with an edge

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