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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. rest — what's left
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bound — obliged
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tear — from crying
  15. last — final
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rest — a break
  19. rush — hurry
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. last — to go on
  23. sharp — clever
  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