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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. object — to protest
  4. wake — a trail
  5. object — an aim
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a city
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. scale — in music
  23. object — a thing
  24. rush — a thrill

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