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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cue — a hint
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bank — for money
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cold — an illness
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. drill — army training
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cue — for pool

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