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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. cold — not warm
  3. fall — the season
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. branch — a division
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cold — an illness
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lash — an eyelash

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