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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. last — to go on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pit — in a race
  5. spell — letters
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. last — final
  8. pit — a hole
  9. band — a ring
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. last — finally
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. band — a music group
  18. spell — magic
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rock — music
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bat — the animal

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