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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. ball — a great time
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. snap — to click
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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