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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. craft — a skill
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. press — a publisher
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rest — what's left
  13. press — to push
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. game — a match
  19. craft — boats
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. game — wild animals
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rest — a break

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