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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. saw — the tool
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. rest — what's left
  7. swing — to play on
  8. capital — money
  9. swing — music
  10. rest — a break
  11. last — to go on
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. last — finally
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. last — final
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. saw — the tool
  20. capital — a city
  21. content — happy
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rest — what's left
  24. capital — a big letter

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