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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pitch — completely
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. clip — a video
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. branch — a division
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wave — of the sea

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