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 · plane · mark · tube · sharp · patient · stock · lie

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stock — goods
  4. clip — to cut
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. tube — a container
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stock — shares
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. clip — a video
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. plane — a tool
  24. sharp — exactly

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