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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. game — a match
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. last — finally
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. last — to go on
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. staff — employees
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. snap — to click

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