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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rash — a series
  5. spell — letters
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stem — to come from
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rash — hasty
  12. deal — to handle
  13. squash — the sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. squash — to crush
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. spell — magic
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. arm — a part of something

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