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: fan · pitcher · bear · sharp · fine · wound · court · mark

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fine — all right
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. court — for sport
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mark — a grade
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — a trace

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