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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. current — of water
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. current — happening now
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. season — in sport
  19. wound — an injury
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. ball — a dance
  22. current — electric
  23. season — of the year
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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