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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. last — to go on
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. key — the most important part
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fine — high quality
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. key — in music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — all right
  14. prune — to trim
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. last — final
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mate — to breed
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mate — a partner
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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