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 116 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mug — a face
  7. bank — for money
  8. saw — the tool
  9. club — for dancing
  10. ball — a dance
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ball — a great time
  13. shower — to wash
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. mug — to rob
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. saw — the tool
  21. club — for golf
  22. mug — a cup
  23. shower — rain
  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