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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. vault — a safe
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. kick — in football
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. object — a thing
  24. sharp — with an edge

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