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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. roll — a list
  8. suit — to fit
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. last — finally
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. spell — magic
  17. last — to go on
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. suit — in cards
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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