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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mark — a grade
  4. clip — a video
  5. pop — soda
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. club — for golf
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. clip — to cut
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pop — music
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. club — a group
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. ground — the earth
  17. club — for dancing
  18. ground — a position
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ground — crushed
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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