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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rock — music
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. season — of the year
  16. rash — a series
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. season — in sport
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bark — to shout

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