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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. last — to go on
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. drill — the tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. drill — army training
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. last — final
  11. last — finally
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. drill — a practice
  16. swing — music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bat — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. wake — a trail
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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