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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. race — a contest
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. last — finally
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. race — humankind
  11. snap — to click
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. stand — to bear
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bark — to shout

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