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: bark · sharp · key · fan · straw · last · present · calf

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. last — final
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. key — in music
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. last — to go on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. last — finally
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bark — to shout
  24. straw — a straw man

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