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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. staff — employees
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. staff — a stick
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pit — in a race
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. staff — employees
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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