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: last · saw · foot · firm · wake · bark · band · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. foot — a measure
  4. firm — decided
  5. last — to go on
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. band — a music group
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wake — a trail
  15. band — a ring
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. saw — the tool
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bark — to shout

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