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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. last — to go on
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. last — final
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. spring — of water
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. toast — bread
  19. saw — the tool
  20. vault — a safe
  21. spring — a coil
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. spring — the season

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