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 120 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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. last — to go on
  3. row — a line
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cold — not warm
  6. key — in music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. key — for a lock
  9. last — finally
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. last — final
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stem — to come from
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. fine — all right
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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