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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. row — to paddle
  5. sharp — clever
  6. last — final
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. season — of the year
  9. spell — letters
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. can — to be able to
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — finally
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wake — a trail
  18. deal — to handle
  19. spell — magic
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. season — in sport
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. row — a line

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