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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. rock — music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. degree — an amount
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. staff — employees
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. degree — from a university
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. staff — employees
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bat — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rock — a stone
  23. arm — part of the body
  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