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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. sharp — clever
  4. last — to go on
  5. bound — tied together
  6. chair — a leader
  7. last — finally
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. last — final
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. saw — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. snap — to click

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