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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. craft — boats
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. drill — army training
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. drill — the tool
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. present — there
  14. sharp — clever
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. key — for a lock
  17. craft — a skill
  18. key — in music
  19. drill — a practice
  20. present — a gift
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. present — the time now

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