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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. tear — from crying
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. court — for sport
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. toast — bread
  15. shower — rain
  16. court — of law
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. court — of a king
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. shower — to wash
  24. toast — the most admired

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