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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. last — finally
  2. firm — a company
  3. net — for catching
  4. firm — steady
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. suit — in cards
  7. last — to go on
  8. lean — to bend
  9. season — of the year
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. season — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. perch — the fish
  14. firm — decided
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. suit — clothes
  20. net — in sport
  21. lean — thin
  22. suit — to fit
  23. calf — a young animal
  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