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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mug — to rob
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. staff — employees
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. spring — the season
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mug — a cup
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. spring — of water
  24. bear — the animal

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