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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mate — to breed
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wax — to grow
  11. clip — for paper
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mate — a partner
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. clip — to cut
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. clip — a video
  18. bear — the animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bear — to put up with

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