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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. track — a path
  3. chest — a box
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. track — a song
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. clip — a video
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. track — to keep track
  15. clip — for paper
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rock — music
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mate — a partner
  24. clip — to cut

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