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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. staff — a stick
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. staff — employees
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. lean — thin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lean — to bend
  19. key — the most important part
  20. staff — employees
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. key — in music
  24. degree — from a university

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