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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. toast — bread
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. sharp — clever
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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