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 120 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ball — a dance
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. last — to go on
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wake — a trail
  8. last — finally
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — the season
  12. fine — high quality
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fine — all right
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. fall — to drop

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