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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. scale — in music
  3. spell — letters
  4. stem — to come from
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rest — a break
  7. spell — a short time
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. last — to go on
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. last — final
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bear — the animal
  20. spell — magic
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. mouse — the animal

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