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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bat — the animal
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. clip — to cut
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. clip — for paper
  13. chair — a leader
  14. clip — a video
  15. mug — a cup
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bank — for money
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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