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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. march — the month
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bank — for money
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — in music
  12. march — music
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. march — the month
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. key — for a lock
  24. arm — part of the body

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