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: mouse · fork · ball · scale · tear · sharp · press · mine

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. tear — from crying
  3. scale — in music
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ball — a great time
  10. scale — size or range
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fork — in a road
  17. ball — a dance
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. tear — to rip
  24. fork — to eat with

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