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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. season — of the year
  7. tube — a container
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. row — to paddle
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. season — in sport
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. row — a line
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. tube — the underground
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. rest — what's left
  24. season — to add flavour

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