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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. fine — all right
  10. cold — not warm
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. firm — decided
  14. cold — an illness
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. cold — the Cold War

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