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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. spell — magic
  6. present — a gift
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bound — tied together
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. last — finally
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bass — the fish
  16. present — the time now
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bass — low music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bark — to shout
  21. present — there
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bound — certain
  24. charge — electricity

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