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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · club · toast · staff · last · wake

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. staff — employees
  3. club — for golf
  4. last — finally
  5. club — a group
  6. last — final
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wake — a trail
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. club — for dancing
  12. staff — a stick
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. last — to go on
  16. staff — employees
  17. tear — to rip
  18. toast — bread

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