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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. foot — a measure
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. fall — to drop
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rock — music
  8. wake — a trail
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fall — to drop
  15. suit — clothes
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. suit — to fit
  18. row — a line
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. sharp — clever
  22. suit — in cards
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fall — the season

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