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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mine — for digging
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. last — to go on
  10. key — the most important part
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. key — for a lock
  15. press — newspapers
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. key — in music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mine — an explosive

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