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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. last — final
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. toast — bread
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. last — to go on
  17. band — a music group
  18. stand — to bear
  19. roll — a cake
  20. band — a ring
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. vault — a safe
  23. roll — a list
  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