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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. last — finally
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. present — the time now
  5. last — to go on
  6. suit — to fit
  7. deal — to handle
  8. present — a gift
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fork — in a road
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. last — final
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. suit — in cards
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wound — an injury
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. present — there
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wound — an injury

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