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 124 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rest — what's left
  4. last — to go on
  5. swing — to play on
  6. band — a music group
  7. fall — to drop
  8. swing — music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. band — a ring
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fall — the season
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. last — final
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bat — the animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rest — a break
  24. last — finally

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