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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. root — of a word
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rash — hasty
  10. clip — for paper
  11. last — finally
  12. dip — to sink
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mark — a grade
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rash — a series
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. clip — a video
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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