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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pitch — completely
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mug — a face
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. plane — a tool
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. spring — of water
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mug — to rob
  20. spring — the season
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. chair — a leader
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. sharp — exactly

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