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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. net — in sport
  3. rash — hasty
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. spell — magic
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. net — for catching
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. net — after costs
  11. toast — bread
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. spell — letters
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rash — a series
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. key — in music
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bat — the animal

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