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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. march — the month
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mark — a trace
  5. clip — for paper
  6. lean — thin
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pitch — completely
  10. march — music
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. clip — a video
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bulb — for light
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. march — the month
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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