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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bat — the animal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bank — for money
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. perch — the fish
  18. spell — magic
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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