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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. snap — to click
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ground — the earth
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. tear — from crying
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. charge — a price
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. ground — a position
  11. charge — in control
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. spring — a coil
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. spring — the season
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spring — of water
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. ground — crushed
  24. tear — to rip

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