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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. present — there
  4. object — a thing
  5. saw — the tool
  6. present — a gift
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. present — the time now
  13. object — an aim
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. object — to protest
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. sharp — clever
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mine — for digging

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