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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. last — final
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wound — an injury
  5. present — the time now
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. season — of the year
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. present — a gift
  14. toast — bread
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. last — to go on
  19. present — there
  20. date — the fruit
  21. season — in sport
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. last — finally
  24. ruler — for measuring

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