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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. track — a path
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. track — to keep track
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. scale — in music
  14. mark — a trace
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. track — a song
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bank — for money
  24. sharp — exactly

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