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: rest · last · can · toast · track · spell · saw · pass

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. track — a path
  5. last — finally
  6. toast — bread
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rest — what's left
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rest — what's left
  11. can — to be able to
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. can — a tin
  18. rest — a break
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spell — letters
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spell — magic
  24. pass — a permit

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