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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. net — in sport
  3. mug — a face
  4. row — a line
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mug — a cup
  8. net — after costs
  9. row — to paddle
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wake — a trail
  17. net — for catching
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mug — to rob
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wind — moving air

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