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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pass — a permit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wake — a trail
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. last — finally
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. current — of water
  22. last — to go on
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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