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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. staff — employees
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rest — what's left
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rest — a break
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cell — in biology
  19. staff — employees
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. kid — child
  22. last — final
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cell — in a prison

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