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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. last — to go on
  4. chest — of your body
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. chest — a box
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. track — a path
  10. chest — of your body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. suit — to fit
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rock — a stone
  15. track — a song
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rock — music
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. last — finally
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. last — final

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