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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. tear — from crying
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. club — a group
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. club — for golf
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mine — for digging
  15. tear — from crying
  16. file — a tool
  17. tear — to rip
  18. club — for dancing
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. leaves — lets stay

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