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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. object — a thing
  22. net — for catching
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. sharp — clever

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