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: stick · chair · object · patient · rest · wake · last · bass

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. chair — a leader
  9. object — an aim
  10. rest — what's left
  11. object — to protest
  12. bass — low music
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. object — a thing
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rest — a break
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rest — what's left
  24. patient — a sick person

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