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 120 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. ball — a great time
  5. band — a ring
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. perch — the fish
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rest — a break
  13. foot — a measure
  14. face — to confront
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. band — a music group
  18. fall — to drop
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fall — the season
  24. rest — what's left

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