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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. kid — to tease
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spell — letters
  6. court — of law
  7. staff — employees
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. race — a contest
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. spell — magic
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. staff — employees
  17. court — for sport
  18. kid — child
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. staff — a stick
  21. spell — a short time
  22. court — of a king
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — to recline

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