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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mark — a grade
  3. sharp — clever
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rash — hasty
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. hand — help
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mark — a trace
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rash — a series
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mark — to pay attention

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