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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bound — obliged
  4. last — finally
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bound — certain
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. last — to go on
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wake — a trail
  20. chip — for betting
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. last — final
  24. toast — bread

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