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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. scale — size or range
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mark — a grade
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. present — there
  12. scale — in music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. sharp — clever
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. date — the fruit
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. present — a gift
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. date — on the calendar
  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