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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. last — to go on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cell — in biology
  5. last — finally
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. last — final
  16. ball — a dance
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. leaves — lets stay

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