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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. hand — help
  4. bank — for money
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rest — a break
  7. kick — in football
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. last — to go on
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. drill — a practice
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bank — for money
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bank — of a river
  23. last — final
  24. drill — army training

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