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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. last — final
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. key — in music
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stand — to bear
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spell — letters
  15. last — to go on
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. spell — a short time
  24. last — finally

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