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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. track — to keep track
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wound — an injury
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. track — a song
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bore — to drill
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. track — a path
  22. ball — a dance
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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