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

Word bank: bass · rash · face · last · rest · mark

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — low music
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. last — finally
  11. mark — a trace
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. last — to go on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. face — to confront

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