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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · racket · tear · rule · stand · mate · scale · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. scale — size or range
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rule — government
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. clip — to cut
  13. sharp — clever
  14. clip — for paper
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. clip — a video
  17. mate — a partner
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rule — a law
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. mate — a friend

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