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: pit · saw · bat · perch · board · sharp · present · cabinet

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. board — to get on
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. board — a committee
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. present — there
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bat — the animal

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