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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. row — a line
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. last — to go on
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. board — a committee
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. last — final
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stock — goods
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stock — shares
  20. bulb — for light
  21. row — to paddle
  22. object — to protest
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. row — a quarrel

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