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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mark — a trace
  4. ball — a great time
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. current — of water
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. last — final
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mark — a grade
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. current — electric
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. last — finally
  22. current — happening now
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rash — hasty

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