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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mate — a partner
  5. clip — a video
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bass — low music
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mark — a trace
  10. clip — for paper
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chair — a leader
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bass — the fish
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. nail — on a finger

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