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: club · rash · craft · staff · dip · sharp · stand · press

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. staff — employees
  3. rash — a series
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. press — newspapers
  7. club — for dancing
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. club — for golf
  13. stand — to bear
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. craft — a skill
  16. dip — to sink
  17. press — to push
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. staff — a stick
  21. club — a group
  22. craft — boats
  23. press — a publisher
  24. staff — employees

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