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 120 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: wake · rest · sharp · racket · mate · cap · saw · chair

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wake — a trail
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mate — a friend
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rest — a break
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mate — a partner
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mate — to breed
  21. chair — a leader
  22. saw — the tool
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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