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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pop — to visit
  6. last — to go on
  7. pop — music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. hand — help
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. last — finally
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. deal — to handle
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pop — soda

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