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: chip · present · ball · bay · sharp · face · tear · last

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ball — a great time
  5. tear — from crying
  6. face — to confront
  7. last — to go on
  8. present — there
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. tear — to rip
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. present — the time now
  21. tear — from crying
  22. present — a gift
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. ball — a round shape

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