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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. date — the fruit
  3. spell — letters
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. row — to paddle
  7. object — an aim
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rest — what's left
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rest — a break
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mug — to rob
  19. object — a thing
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mug — a face
  24. object — to protest

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