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 116 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. key — the most important part
  8. tear — to rip
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. staff — a stick
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. tear — from crying
  17. scale — in music
  18. key — in music
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. staff — employees
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. key — for a lock
  24. calf — of the leg

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