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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. last — final
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wake — a trail
  10. drill — the tool
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. drill — army training
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. last — to go on
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cue — a signal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. drill — a practice
  24. row — a line

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