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 116 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. net — for catching
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bat — the animal
  16. net — in sport
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. drill — the tool
  23. net — after costs
  24. fork — a garden tool

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