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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stand — to bear
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. craft — boats
  7. present — there
  8. cold — not warm
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cold — an illness
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. spell — magic
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. stand — for spectators

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