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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — not warm
  5. rock — music
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rock — a stone
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. present — there
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. sharp — clever
  14. lie — to recline
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cold — an illness
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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