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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. swing — to play on
  6. face — to point toward
  7. file — a document
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wax — to grow
  12. face — to confront
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. file — a tool
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. swing — in golf
  21. face — part of the head
  22. swing — music
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. cabinet — ministers

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