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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. season — of the year
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pit — in a race
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pit — a hole
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. season — in sport

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