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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. squash — to crush
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wake — a trail
  8. season — in sport
  9. rush — hurry
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stem — to come from

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