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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. drill — army training
  3. last — final
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. root — the cause
  14. last — to go on
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. root — of a plant
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. root — of a word
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mark — a grade
  23. drill — the tool
  24. last — finally

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