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 · tear · pop · pass · stock · season · game · drill

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stock — goods
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. tear — to rip
  7. season — in sport
  8. pop — to visit
  9. game — a match
  10. tear — from crying
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. pop — music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. season — of the year
  18. game — wild animals
  19. drill — army training
  20. sharp — clever
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pop — soda
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pass — a permit

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