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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. drill — army training
  11. last — finally
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. date — the fruit
  16. file — a document
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a tool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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