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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cell — a phone
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pop — music
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rock — music
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. last — final
  12. rule — a law
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rule — government
  19. pop — soda
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pop — to visit
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cell — in biology
  24. mouse — for a computer

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