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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mug — to rob
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mug — a cup
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ground — a position
  14. wind — moving air
  15. content — the amount
  16. saw — the tool
  17. content — happy
  18. wind — moving air
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. game — a match
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mug — a face
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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