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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pop — soda
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. club — for golf
  7. pop — music
  8. stock — shares
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. club — a group
  12. bark — to shout
  13. stock — goods
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. last — final
  18. club — for dancing
  19. last — to go on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. last — finally
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stock — a soup base

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