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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. saw — the tool
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. saw — the tool
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. track — a path
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rule — a law
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rule — government
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. game — a match
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mark — a trace
  24. coach — a trainer

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