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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. file — a line of people
  3. present — there
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. file — a tool
  7. root — the cause
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. root — of a word
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mate — a partner
  17. rest — what's left
  18. present — a gift
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. file — a document
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mate — a friend
  23. present — the time now
  24. mate — to breed

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