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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. field — for sport
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rash — hasty
  11. firm — a company
  12. field — farmland
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hand — in cards
  15. firm — steady
  16. rash — a series
  17. field — a subject
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. roll — a cake
  22. firm — decided
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. capital — a city

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