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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pit — a hole
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cell — a phone
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cell — in biology
  17. current — happening now
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cue — a signal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pit — in a race
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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