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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wind — moving air
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. squash — the sport
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wind — moving air
  11. face — to confront
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. face — to point toward
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. face — part of the head
  23. saw — the tool
  24. key — in music

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