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 116 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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. march — music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spring — of water
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. spring — a coil
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mate — to breed
  11. march — the month
  12. net — after costs
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mate — a friend
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — a partner
  17. spring — the season
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. chip — for betting
  21. net — in sport
  22. march — the month
  23. chip — to eat
  24. net — for catching

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