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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. tear — to rip
  4. last — finally
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rest — what's left
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ground — a position
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rest — a break
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. charge — electricity
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. charge — in control
  23. snap — to click
  24. charge — a price

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