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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. band — a music group
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. ground — the earth
  10. band — a ring
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. last — to go on
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. toast — bread
  15. last — final
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. ground — crushed
  23. last — finally
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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