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 124 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wind — moving air
  3. sharp — clever
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. staff — employees
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pit — in a race
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. court — of law
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wind — moving air
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pop — soda
  16. staff — a stick
  17. court — for sport
  18. pop — to visit
  19. staff — employees
  20. pit — a hole
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pop — music
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. court — of a king

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