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. The water is too ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cold — not warm
  3. board — to get on
  4. file — a document
  5. object — to protest
  6. row — a line
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. cold — an illness
  13. firm — steady
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. file — a line of people
  16. firm — a company
  17. snap — to click
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. file — a tool
  21. board — a committee
  22. firm — decided
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. board — a flat piece

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