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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pound — a weight
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. last — final
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spring — of water
  7. sharp — clever
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. last — finally
  16. spring — a coil
  17. deal — to handle
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. vault — a safe
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. spring — the season

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