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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bark — to shout
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. last — finally
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rock — music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. swing — music
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rock — to move gently

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