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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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. fine — high quality
  4. net — for catching
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fine — all right
  8. court — of law
  9. net — in sport
  10. court — for sport
  11. prune — to trim
  12. firm — steady
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. shower — rain
  16. net — after costs
  17. firm — a company
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. firm — decided
  22. sharp — clever
  23. court — of a king
  24. prune — to trim

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