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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. vault — a safe
  3. clip — a video
  4. last — final
  5. key — the most important part
  6. prune — to trim
  7. key — in music
  8. mug — a face
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mug — a cup
  11. clip — for paper
  12. last — to go on
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. key — for a lock
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. spell — letters
  18. clip — to cut
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. last — finally
  21. prune — to trim
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mug — to rob
  24. spell — magic

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