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: mug · sharp · kid · spell · fine · racket · bound · stand

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. spell — letters
  3. fine — all right
  4. bound — certain
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stand — to bear
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mug — a cup
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bound — tied together
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. spell — magic
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mug — a face
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bound — obliged
  23. kid — to tease
  24. sharp — with an edge

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