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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. spell — a short time
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. present — the time now
  5. bear — the animal
  6. last — final
  7. vault — a safe
  8. present — there
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. spell — magic
  12. present — a gift
  13. cell — a phone
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. spell — letters
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. kick — in football
  21. last — to go on
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kick — a thrill

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