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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. object — a thing
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. object — to protest
  13. wound — an injury
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pitch — completely
  16. sharp — clever
  17. object — an aim
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. season — of the year
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wound — an injury

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