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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. last — final
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bass — low music
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bark — to shout
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. charge — in control
  23. bass — the instrument
  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