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 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — completely
  4. clip — to cut
  5. staff — employees
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mark — a grade
  9. last — finally
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. prune — to trim
  12. last — final
  13. staff — a stick
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. clip — a video
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. clip — for paper
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. staff — employees
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. last — to go on
  24. hide — to keep secret

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