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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. present — the time now
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wind — moving air
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. object — an aim
  13. present — a gift
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. object — a thing
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wind — moving air
  19. object — to protest
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. present — there
  24. sharp — clever

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