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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. vault — a safe
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. last — final
  9. band — a ring
  10. capital — money
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. last — finally
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. capital — a city
  18. band — a music group
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stem — to come from
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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