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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rock — music
  7. bound — certain
  8. sharp — clever
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bound — obliged
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wax — in the ear

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