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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. track — a path
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. ground — a position
  13. field — for sport
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. present — the time now
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. ground — crushed
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wind — to turn a key

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