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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. staff — a stick
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. staff — employees
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. last — finally
  13. bore — to tire
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. staff — employees
  19. bore — to drill
  20. last — final
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. last — to go on

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