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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. present — a gift
  3. last — finally
  4. band — a ring
  5. clip — for paper
  6. dip — to sink
  7. present — the time now
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. spell — magic
  11. band — a music group
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. last — to go on
  17. spell — letters
  18. clip — a video
  19. last — final
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. clip — to cut
  24. present — there

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