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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. tear — from crying
  4. clip — to cut
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. clip — a video
  8. land — to come down
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. land — a country
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. board — to get on
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. board — a committee
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. land — ground
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wake — a trail
  24. mug — a face

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