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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. last — to go on
  8. mate — to breed
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bound — certain
  12. lean — thin
  13. squash — the sport
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bound — tied together
  19. plane — a tool
  20. dip — to sink
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. last — finally

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