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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. swing — music
  3. pitch — completely
  4. kid — child
  5. staff — employees
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. swing — to play on
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. drill — army training
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stock — shares
  17. tear — to rip
  18. swing — in golf
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. drill — the tool
  24. tear — from crying

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