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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pitch — completely
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cue — a hint
  11. press — to push
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fork — in a road
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. press — newspapers
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. scale — in music
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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