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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. snap — to click
  3. staff — employees
  4. wind — moving air
  5. staff — employees
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. staff — a stick
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wind — moving air
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pass — to spend time

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