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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rule — government
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bulb — for light
  9. degree — an amount
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. craft — boats
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rule — a law
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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