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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. row — a line
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rush — hurry
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. suit — in cards
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. tube — a container
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. suit — to fit
  19. perch — the fish
  20. row — to paddle
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. face — part of the head
  24. tube — the underground

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