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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. last — to go on
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bound — certain
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. face — to confront
  17. bound — obliged
  18. last — finally
  19. face — to point toward
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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