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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. last — finally
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rock — music
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fine — all right
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. last — final
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cue — for pool
  18. last — to go on
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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