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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. season — of the year
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. spring — of water
  13. cold — an illness
  14. root — the cause
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. season — in sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. spring — the season

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