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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pop — music
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rest — a break
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pop — soda
  24. wake — a trail

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