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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. charge — in control
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. prune — to trim
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. charge — electricity
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. spell — a short time
  12. kid — to tease
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. kid — child
  19. spell — magic
  20. prune — to trim
  21. charge — a price
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bass — low music
  24. spell — letters

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