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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bear — the animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. staff — employees
  6. game — wild animals
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. march — the month
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. staff — employees
  13. march — the month
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. game — a match
  18. march — music

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