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: sharp · bore · mine · rest · last · racket · straw · staff

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rest — a break
  3. staff — a stick
  4. last — finally
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. staff — employees
  8. mine — for digging
  9. last — to go on
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bore — to drill
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rest — what's left
  17. staff — employees
  18. bore — to tire
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. last — final
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bore — gave birth

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