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 116 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 · band · wound · pass · suit · kick · bear · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. wound — an injury
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pass — a permit
  5. band — a music group
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. suit — to fit
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. band — a ring
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bear — the animal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wound — an injury
  24. kick — in football

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