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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. march — the month
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. object — an aim
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. object — a thing
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. march — music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. hand — in cards
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. object — to protest
  21. hand — help
  22. march — the month
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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