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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pass — a permit
  10. spell — letters
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tear — to rip
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. tear — from crying
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. tear — from crying
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. spell — magic
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. last — final

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