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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. band — a ring
  3. last — to go on
  4. stand — to bear
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. band — a music group
  7. key — in music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bass — low music
  11. squash — to crush
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. last — finally
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. squash — the sport
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. squash — the vegetable

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