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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. land — a country
  3. spring — of water
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lean — to bend
  9. last — to go on
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. land — to come down
  14. last — finally
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spring — the season
  17. lean — thin
  18. land — ground
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pass — a permit
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. rush — to hurry

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