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 116 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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. root — the cause
  6. ground — a position
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tear — to rip
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. root — of a plant
  14. tube — a container
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ground — crushed
  18. tear — from crying
  19. face — to confront
  20. last — to go on
  21. ground — the earth
  22. root — of a word
  23. face — to point toward
  24. last — finally

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