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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fine — high quality
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bound — certain
  8. lean — thin
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fine — all right
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pass — a permit
  24. last — to go on

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