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: pit · last · nail · bound · toast · race · object · rock

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. toast — bread
  3. rock — music
  4. pit — in a race
  5. last — finally
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. last — to go on
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. race — humankind
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. object — an aim
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. object — to protest
  17. rock — a stone
  18. object — a thing
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. race — the arms race
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. race — a contest
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pit — a hole

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