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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rock — music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cold — not warm
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cold — an illness
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. season — in sport

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