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 124 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mine — for digging
  3. march — music
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. march — the month
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wax — to grow
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. pit — a hole
  20. march — the month
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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