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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. firm — steady
  3. spell — a short time
  4. last — final
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. kid — child
  7. last — finally
  8. present — there
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. present — a gift
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spell — magic
  13. present — the time now
  14. firm — a company
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. firm — decided
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spell — letters
  20. last — to go on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. kid — to tease
  24. leaves — lets stay

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