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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. last — to go on
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. chair — a leader
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. prune — to trim
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. deal — to handle

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