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 is an ace ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. clip — a video
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rock — music
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bank — for money
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. kick — in football
  12. current — happening now
  13. squash — the sport
  14. current — of water
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rock — a stone
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. clip — to cut
  24. current — electric

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