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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. last — finally
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. current — of water
  12. mine — for digging
  13. spring — a coil
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. track — a song
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. current — happening now
  19. spring — the season
  20. current — electric
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. last — to go on
  24. spring — of water

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