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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cap — of ice
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. charge — a price
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cap — a lid
  14. last — final
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. charge — in control
  22. cold — an illness
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fan — a supporter

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