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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. field — farmland
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fine — all right
  8. field — for sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pop — music
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pop — soda
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. field — a subject
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stem — to come from
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lie — an untruth
  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