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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pop — to visit
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. track — a song
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lean — thin
  16. pop — music
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pop — soda
  21. lean — to bend
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. track — a path

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