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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. present — there
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. present — a gift
  10. tear — from crying
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. tear — from crying
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. chip — to eat
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chip — for betting
  21. tear — to rip
  22. suit — clothes
  23. sharp — clever
  24. present — the time now

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