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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. present — there
  4. rest — what's left
  5. last — finally
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. present — a gift
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. track — a path
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. last — to go on
  16. rash — hasty
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. last — final
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. present — the time now
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rash — a series

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