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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. net — in sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. band — a ring
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. spell — a short time
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. spell — magic
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pop — soda
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. band — a music group
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spell — letters

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