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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bound — certain
  3. court — for sport
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rash — a series
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mark — a trace
  12. court — of a king
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. court — of law
  22. cold — not warm
  23. rash — on the skin
  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