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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fine — high quality
  3. last — finally
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rush — hurry
  9. key — the most important part
  10. spell — magic
  11. rock — music
  12. last — final
  13. spell — letters
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. clip — to cut
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fine — all right
  20. key — in music
  21. clip — a video
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. last — to go on

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