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 · stand · cell · chip · degree · present · craft · lash

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. chip — for betting
  7. craft — a skill
  8. degree — temperature
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cell — a phone
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. present — the time now
  15. chip — to eat
  16. degree — from a university
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stand — to bear
  20. degree — an amount
  21. craft — boats
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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