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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bat — the animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mate — to breed
  6. kid — child
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. kid — to tease
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fine — all right
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bank — for money
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fine — high quality
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bank — of a river

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