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 124 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. last — final
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mate — to breed
  12. court — for sport
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. court — of law
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mate — a partner
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. court — of a king
  24. hide — animal skin

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