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: bat · present · last · cell · wax · roll · bound · mark

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bound — tied together
  5. last — final
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mark — a grade
  8. last — finally
  9. present — a gift
  10. bat — the animal
  11. present — the time now
  12. roll — a list
  13. cell — a phone
  14. mark — a trace
  15. present — there
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. last — to go on
  19. roll — a cake
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bound — certain
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bat — for baseball

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