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: straw · last · present · leaves · bark · ball · fine · mouse

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fine — high quality
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. present — there
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bark — to shout
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. last — final
  12. present — the time now
  13. fine — all right
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. last — to go on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. ball — a great time
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. present — a gift
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ball — a dance

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