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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. tear — to rip
  6. staff — employees
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bound — certain
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bound — obliged
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wake — a trail
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. kid — child
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. kid — to tease

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