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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. last — final
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cold — not warm
  7. spell — letters
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. suit — to fit
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. spell — magic
  18. cold — an illness
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. sharp — clever
  24. suit — clothes

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