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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. game — a match
  4. race — humankind
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. suit — clothes
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. degree — temperature
  12. race — a contest
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. degree — an amount
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mark — a grade
  20. game — wild animals
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. degree — from a university
  24. race — the arms race

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