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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. current — of water
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cue — a signal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mate — to breed
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mate — a partner
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. current — electric
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. rock — music
  23. current — happening now
  24. lean — to rest against

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