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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. current — electric
  4. cue — for pool
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pop — to visit
  8. current — of water
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pop — soda
  12. prune — to trim
  13. current — happening now
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. game — wild animals
  19. prune — to trim
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wind — moving air
  22. game — a match
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pop — music

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