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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. swing — to play on
  5. last — to go on
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. swing — in golf
  12. last — final
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. swing — music
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. fine — high quality
  19. last — finally
  20. fine — all right
  21. face — part of the head
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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