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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. present — the time now
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fall — to drop
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fall — the season
  17. land — ground
  18. rush — hurry
  19. present — a gift
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. present — there
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. rock — music

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