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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pit — in a race
  5. land — to come down
  6. cell — a phone
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rock — a stone
  12. charge — a price
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cell — in biology
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rock — music
  20. charge — electricity
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. charge — in control
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. key — in music

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