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'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cue — a hint
  3. can — a tin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. last — final
  6. perch — the fish
  7. last — finally
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. can — a tin
  11. cold — an illness
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. last — to go on
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cold — not warm
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tube — a container
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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