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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. hand — help
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. content — the amount
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rash — a series
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. hand — in cards
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. content — happy
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bark — to shout
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rash — hasty
  24. saw — the tool

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