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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. last — finally
  4. rash — a series
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. snap — to click
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — certain
  14. pit — a hole
  15. net — in sport
  16. chair — a leader
  17. last — to go on
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bound — obliged
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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