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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bat — the animal
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pit — a hole
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. charge — in control
  19. fork — in a road
  20. charge — a price
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pit — in a race
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. charge — electricity

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