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 124 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chest — a box
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. present — there
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rash — a series
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. root — the cause
  12. rush — hurry
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. root — of a word
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bass — low music
  24. root — of a plant

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