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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bound — obliged
  3. suit — in cards
  4. last — to go on
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. track — a song
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. band — a ring
  11. rock — a stone
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. track — a path
  15. band — a music group
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wound — an injury
  19. last — finally
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bound — certain
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mark — a trace

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