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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. spring — of water
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. current — of water
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. sharp — clever
  8. spring — the season
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wind — moving air
  14. present — there
  15. lie — to recline
  16. present — a gift
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. present — the time now
  19. current — happening now
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spring — a coil
  23. current — electric
  24. snap — to click

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