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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. ground — crushed
  5. craft — a skill
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. spell — magic
  8. bound — tied together
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bound — certain
  13. ground — a position
  14. fine — high quality
  15. sharp — clever
  16. hand — help
  17. fine — all right
  18. hand — in cards
  19. spell — letters
  20. ground — the earth
  21. craft — boats
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bound — obliged
  24. spell — a short time

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