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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mark — a grade
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. sharp — clever
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rest — a break
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rush — to hurry

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