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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spell — a short time
  5. hand — in cards
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wake — a trail
  10. spell — letters
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. spring — of water
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. date — the fruit
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. spell — magic
  20. ground — a position
  21. spring — the season
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hand — help

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