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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rock — music
  3. sharp — clever
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pit — a hole
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rock — a stone
  13. clip — for paper
  14. drill — army training
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. clip — a video
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pit — in a race

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