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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. court — of a king
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fall — 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