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: bark · last · dip · rush · rest · bat · straw · jam

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rest — what's left
  5. last — final
  6. rest — a break
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. last — finally
  9. bark — to shout
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. dip — to sink
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rush — hurry
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bat — in an idiom

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