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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bat — the animal
  14. club — a group
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. hand — help
  19. club — for golf
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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