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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. firm — a company
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. firm — decided
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cold — an illness
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. firm — steady
  16. cold — not warm
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wake — a trail

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