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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. last — to go on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. last — finally
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. snap — to click
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. present — the time now
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. last — final
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. net — for catching
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. present — a gift
  20. court — of law
  21. net — after costs
  22. toast — bread
  23. net — in sport
  24. present — there

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