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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. track — a song
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. field — farmland
  7. sharp — clever
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cue — a signal
  11. track — a path
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fall — the season
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. track — to keep track
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. field — a subject
  21. cue — for pool
  22. field — for sport
  23. fall — to drop
  24. nail — for a hammer

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