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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. track — to keep track
  5. current — electric
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. net — for catching
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. sharp — clever
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. roll — a list
  16. net — in sport
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. track — a path
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. foot — a measure
  21. track — a song
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. net — after costs

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