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

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spring — the season
  3. band — a music group
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rest — what's left
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. lean — thin
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. band — a ring
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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