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 116 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. track — a path
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. content — happy
  6. pound — a weight
  7. content — the amount
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. track — a song
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. track — to keep track
  19. chair — a leader
  20. spring — the season
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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