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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. last — final
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ground — the earth
  10. last — to go on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rash — hasty
  13. key — for a lock
  14. game — wild animals
  15. ground — a position
  16. key — in music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. game — a match
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rash — a series
  21. key — the most important part
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. last — finally
  24. rash — on the skin

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